Who's responsible for Tom Thibodeau's exit from New York Knicks? NBA insider spills beans on front office decision
Tom Thibodeau. Image via: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks have officially parted ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau, just days after the team's impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite overseeing one of the most successful Knicks seasons in recent history, the front office determined a change was necessary, triggering immediate speculation about what led to this abrupt shakeup at Madison Square Garden.
NBA insider Shams Charania recently shared details on who was responsible for his exit.
Shams Charania reveals why the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau
It didn't take long for top NBA insider Shams Charania to reveal who made the final call. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Charania shared that the New York Knicks owner James Dolan and team president Leon Rose were the architects behind Thibodeau's dismissal. 'As soon as the season ended, they started meetings internally,' Charania said.
'James Dolan, the Knicks Owner, and Leon Rose, the President, they believed the best path for this team to take the next step to win a championship was they needed a new voice.
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— PatMcAfeeShow (@PatMcAfeeShow)
Charania confirmed the decision wasn't made lightly, but was nonetheless firm. 'So Leon Rose and James Dolan came to the decision this morning that they were going to part ways with Tom Thibodeau. He's fired as their head coach,' he said.
The timing of the firing caught many by surprise, especially since Thibodeau had just led the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years.
Shams himself admitted to being stunned. 'You think about what they've done as an organization—like to lose in the conference finals, that's not a bad feat,' he explained.
'This is a team that has gone from really out of much contention at all, and then when Tom Thibodeau comes in, they've become respectable again… Absolutely shocked, but they've been having meetings for the last 24 hours and this is the decision they came with.'
Despite those accomplishments, the team's statement echoed the same message as the front office believed that it was time to move forward. 'Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction,' Leon Rose said via official press release. 'We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach… Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward.
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Also Read:
'Biggest question is why?' – Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson was in awe after news of Tom Thibodeau getting fired from New York Knicks broke the internet
Thibodeau, who still had time and money left on his contract, now walks away after a 226-174 run in New York. His firing, confirmed by ESPN and originally reported by Shams Charania, continues to generate league-wide reaction. Fans and analysts are labeling it one of the most unexpected decisions of the offseason.
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